Process of making tetranitromethane explosives



Patented Nov. 1, 1949 OFFICE PROCESS OF MAKING TETRANITRO- METHANEEXPLOSIV ES Joseph A. Wyler, Allentown, Pa., assignor to Trojan PowderCompany, Allentown, Pa.

' No Drawing. Application August 3, 1945,

Serial No. 608,830

2 Claims.

This invention relates to new explosives. More particularly, it relatesto new explosive mixtures capable of detonation with unusual violenceand penetrating power.

It is well known that explosives such as TNT, hexoge n, pentaerythritoltetranitrate, tetryl, nitroglycerine, nitroglycol, certain mixtures oftetranitromethane and carbonaceous materials as oils, mixtures of liquidoxygen and carbon, mixtures of liquid N204 and carbon, and others,detonate with high explosive energy and also produce a detonating waveof high velocity. Of these various explosives certaintetranitromethane-oil mixtures have rates of detonation of somewhat over9300 meters per second, which, to the best of my knowledge, are thehighest rates reported in the literature for any heretofore knownexplosive.

I have discovered that tetranitromethane dissolves lead alkyls and thatcertain mixtures of these alkyls with tetranitromethane produce anexplosive of far greater violence, per unit of volume, than any otherknown explosive or explosive mixture. More specifically, I have foundthat the alkyls of lead produce mixtures with tetranitromethane whichhave an unusual explosive strength and an unusually high rate ofdetonation.

The alkyls, combined with lead, which are particularly useful for myexplosives are methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl and amyl, including theirisomers, although tetraethyl lead by virtue of its high density,chemical stability, when pure, and its excellent miscibility withtetranitromethane is preferred above all others.

The proportions of lead alkyl to tetranitromethane may be varied over aconsiderable range and still produce powerful explosive mixtures. Ingeneral, however, it is preferred to have oxygen balanced mixtures, thatis, mixtures in which the oxygen of the tetranitromethane is present tojust the extent theoretically required to form CO2 with all the carbonpresent, H2O with all the hydrogen, the highest stable metallic oxidewith all the metal present, and, to theoreti- From the-equation and themolecular weights of the reacting compounds, 323.4 and 196.0respectively, -it may be calculated that for this oxygen balance, thereis used approximately 35.6 parts of the tetraethyl lead for parts of thetetranitromethane. Mixtures such as this give the highest rates ofdetonation and explosive energy. In this connection it should be notedthat mixtures having a CO balance, that is, having only enoughtetranitromethane to form CO with the carbon present in the mixture andtheoretically enough to form the metal oxides and water mentioned abovestill have unusually high explosive energy. The proportions required forthe carbon monoxide balance may be calculated from the followingequation.

The calculation from this equation and the molecular weights of thereacting substances shows that, for the carbon monoxide balance, thereis required approximately 61 parts of the tetraethyl lead for 100 partsof the tetranitromethane,

proportions here and elsewhere herein being expressed as parts by weightunless specifically stated to the contrary.

Also, although my preferred explosive mixtures consist oftetranitromethane and one or more of the lead alkyls, I may at times usea third material which is a mutual solvent for these reactants, in orderto provide a safer means for preparing and handling my explosivemixtures and also to provide mixtures of graded strengths. Such a thirdmaterial is pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, gasolene, hydrocarbonoils, or the like.

The preferred method of preparing my new explosive mixtures is to havethe required amounts of each constituent in separate containers orcompartments and to mix these at the time of use, preferably byremote-controlled, automatic means.

Specific examples of the use of my mixtures are in the case bombs to bedropped from aeroplanes, in which the constituents are in separatecompartments within the missile and are not mixed until a definite drophas been made by the bomb; or in the case of torpedoes launched at sea,such torpedoes having separate compartments for each constituent andmechanical means for mixing the constituents after the torpedo is on itsway to the target.

Tetranitromethane itself is not an explosive and can be stored inaeroplanes, submarines, etc.

without the additional hazard usually associated with completeexplosives. Similarly, the alkyls are not explosives and can be storedin separate containers to obtain additional safety.

It is to be noted that the preferred explosive mixtures of the presentinvention are intended for use under conditions where the explosiveingredients are mechanically mixed in the missile itself just before thelatter is to be detonated.

An example of my preferred explosive mixture, in which all parts are byweight, is the following:

Tetranitromethane (C(NO2)4) 177 Tetraethyl lead ((C2H5)4Pb) 65 Thismixture is essentially oxygen balanced, is very sensitive to frictionand shock and should be mixed by remote control and not by the ordinarymethods used in industry.

It is, of course, understood that a person skilled in this art mayadvantageously select and vary the amounts and nature of the ingredientsof my new compositions to obtain certain specific results, withoutdeparting from the essence of my invention, and I therefore do not limitmyself in any way except as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making an explosive mixture which comprises mixingtetranitromethane with a tetraalkyl lead, the tetranitromethane beingused in proportion at least equal to the amount required theoreticallyto oxidize all carbon in REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 1,597,343 Chandler Aug. 24, 19262,185,157 Nygaard Dec. 26, 1939 2,298,255 Hopkins Oct. 6, 1942 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 26,261 Great Britain 1907 OTHER REFERENCESWatts, Dictionary of Chemistry, vol, III, Longmans, Green 8: 00.,London, 1875. Page 563, entry Plumbotetrethyl. (Copy in Pat. Off.Scientific Library.)

